


The Russian Bear Helps the Swedish Lion

by eafay70



Series: Two Pittsburgh Captains [11]
Category: Football RPF, Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, FIFA World Cup 2018, Geno is a footballer, M/M, Sid and Helena are mentioned but don't actually appear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-05-29 23:28:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15084089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eafay70/pseuds/eafay70
Summary: It is a truth widely acknowledged that Evgeni Malkin is the best footballer in the world...when it comes to matchmaking! So when Zlatan's protégé is having relationship troubles, they naturally call Geno for help.





	The Russian Bear Helps the Swedish Lion

**Author's Note:**

> My co-author for this series, tigragrece, had the idea for Geno running a love advice hotline among world footballers. This is my take on that idea, partially inspired by her love for Zlatan!
> 
> I actually decided on Ludwig/Victor as the couple being assisted before Ludde scored against Mexico; all that goal did was prompt me to wear my Werder Bremen scarf for the rest of the day!
> 
> In this 'verse, Victor isn't married and Ludwig doesn't have a girlfriend. Nothing against Maja or Miranda, I swear!

Having been the semi-official love guru of world football since the start of the World Cup, Geno wasn't surprised by his phone ringing on a day when Russia didn't have a match. But the identity of the caller took Geno completely by surprise: "Zlatan?!"

"Hello, Geno," the superstar Swede said. "I was hoping to get some advice in the romance department."

"Did you forget Helena's always right?" Geno asked. 

"No, no, nothing to do with Helena and Zlatan," he replied. "It's something to do with Zlatan's protégé, Victor."

"Oh, yes, new Swedish Red Devil." Geno had never met Victor Lindelöf, but he'd seen a few highlight reels and liked his style. "Who's his Helena?"

"Ludwig Augustinsson - not sure you know of him. He plays for some small club in the north of Germany that hasn't lived up to its potential lately. But he's pretty good."

"The name sounds familiar," Geno mused. "I can google if I need details. So, what the trouble in Ikea-land training camp?"

"Victor wants to woo Ludde, but he thinks Ludde will turn him down because Manchester and Germany are far apart, or because United is an awesome club with lots of history and Ludde's team is a not-awesome club with a lot of history, or even because Ludde just doesn't like Victor - which Zlatan has confirmed to be untrue, by the way. Zlatan knows there was a lot of early nervousness in the great Pittsburgh love story, so might Russian bear be able to help Swedish lion's protégé and protégé-in-law-to-be?"

"I do my best," Geno promised. "Is Victor around? Helpful to talk to him directly."

"Just a moment..." Zlatan said something in Swedish, then went back to English. "Evgeni, meet Victor."

"Can call Geno," he said automatically. "Nice to meet you, Victor."

"Nice to meet you, too," Victor said shyly. "I'm sorry to be bothering you when you're hosting the World Cup."

"Love stuff never a bother! Now, tell me about this...Ludde, Zlatan called him?"

"That's Ludwig's nickname, yeah. He's really cute, and he's funny, and he's smart...and he deserves a relationship with someone close by who can sympathize with him and who's just as smart and funny and cute."

Geno tsked disapprovingly at Victor's lack of self-confidence. "Tell me, Victor, Ludde and you both playing outside of homeland?"

"Uh...yeah..."

"Good. Then you can sympathize with him. You both know how to use Internet?"

"Yeah..."

Geno ignored Zlatan's sniggering in the background. "Good. Then distance not big problem - you use Internet to chat and to book travel tickets. And you new Zlatan?"

"Nobody's the new Zlatan!" Judging from Victor's tone of voice, Zlatan was glaring at him menacingly.

"Good. Then you smart enough to deserve good boyfriend. Ludde sounds like good boyfriend. Now, if he play in northern Germany, he deal with cold and rain a lot. Offer to share jacket at every chance. Tell him he look good not just in yellow, but in...what his club color?"

"Green and white."

"Tell him he look good in green and white, not just in yellow and blue. And smile lots. Zlatan will keep me posted."

"Oh...okay." Victor gulped nervously. "I think I can do it. Thank you, Geno."

"You're welcome. Good luck in tournament."

"You, too!" Victor replied.

"Bye!" Zlatan said before ending the call.

Geno put down his phone and sighed. He didn't want to admit it, but Sid had won the bet over how long it would take for yet another person to need Geno's love advice. Ah, well, a happy Sid always made Geno happy.

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback is love! :D And don't forget to check out the other fics in this series - they all deserve love!


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